News

Arrillaga mixed-use plan for El Camino Real in Menlo Park draws heat

By Bonnie Eslinger

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
11/28/2012 09:18:18 PM PST

Updated:
03/29/2013 12:00:36 PM PDT

Click photo to enlarge

This is an artist's rendering of a mixed-use development proposed for an 8-acre plot of Stanford University-owned land on the 300 to 500 blocks of El Camino Real in Menlo Park. Image courtesy of the city of Menlo Park.

When the Menlo Park City Council approved a comprehensive plan in May, the big hope was that it would spawn a more vibrant downtown and El Camino Real.

"One of the objectives was to get redevelopment of those vacant and underutilized sites," Community Development Director Arlinda Heineck said about the controversial El Camino Real/Downtown Specific Plan.

But the first proposal to spring from the plan is already drawing heat. It would replace old and empty car dealership buildings on El Camino Real with new offices, shops and housing within a mixed-use development.

Submitted earlier this month by Stanford and developer/philanthropist John Arrillaga, the proposal calls for five three-story buildings -- two with retail space and 120 units of housing and three with medical and general office spaces -- on eight acres owned by the university from 300 to 500 El Camino Real. The project would also include space to park 1,142 cars, mostly in an underground garage.

Although the proposal complies with the specific plan's guidelines, Mayor Kirsten Keith said Tuesday she wants to see the project revised to include more housing.

"I've let them know that," Keith said. "We'd like to see higher-density housing in areas within walking distance to Caltrain."

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Steve Elliott, Stanford's managing director of development, said although the university is open to making changes, it has consistently communicated to the city that it wants a mix of uses on the property.

"I think it will be a really beneficial redevelopment to replace all the empty car dealerships with a new mix of uses that are more appropriate for the location," Elliott said.

Perla Ni, who lives behind the proposed development site, sees more problems than advantages in a cluster of buildings. Ni told the city council Tuesday night she represents about 150 neighbors worried about the extra traffic sure to come with the Stanford/Arrillaga project.

"(The) additional cars every day on El Camino will be making it very difficult for us to get to work and come back from work and it will also cause spillover traffic onto nearby roads," Ni said. "It also affects the ability of our children to cross El Camino ... when there's so many cars."

And it isn't the only project proposed for El Camino Real, Ni said, noting that Stanford and Arrillaga also are planning to put four office buildings and a theater in Palo Alto next to the downtown Caltrain depot.

"To get to that development people will be going through Menlo Park," Ni said.

The Stanford property in Menlo Park has some buildings occupied by tenants, including a Tesla Motors dealership. The electric car company would have to move out in April when its lease expires, Elliott said.